-LRB- Mashable -RRB- -- HP has announced a major new initiative and a slew of new devices that enable users to print from any device to a web-enabled printer by simply using e-mail .

The idea -- which builds off the Google Cloud Print announcement we saw back in April -- starts with giving each printer its own unique e-mail address .

That printer 's owner -LRB- and their designated family , friends , and colleagues -RRB- can then print documents by sending it an email from a smartphone , from a tablet , or any other device that allows it . Called HP ePrint , the technology eliminates the need for installing drivers and enables a variety of new apps and services .

Putting Documents in the Cloud

The new printers that HP is unveiling today along with ePrint can connect directly to Google Cloud using their touchscreen interface . That means users can print Google Docs directly from the cloud without using their desktop computer , as well as scan documents directly to their Google Docs account . Other Google services like Calendar and Picasa for photos are also supported . Similarly , Box.net and Docstoc users can also retrieve and push documents to and from the cloud through new print apps .

A New Opportunity for Publishers

Another area HP is exploring with the ePrint concept is scheduled delivery . This allows users to get content printed at specific times -- for example , getting a customized daily newspaper printed out every morning that they can take with them on the train . MSNBC has signed on as a partner to pilot this concept , and HP has teamed with Yahoo to sell the ads , which , you can imagine could include a mix of contextual advertising and locally relevant promotions and coupons .

Another Platform for Developers

Beyond productivity and news , initial apps include Facebook for printing photos and events and MapQuest for printing maps and directions . HP also sees a big opportunity for providing different types of activities for parents and kids , and to that end has signed on Crayola for coloring pages and PBS for a variety of education-driven printing . As for the market size for developers here , HP says it expects to ship , `` tens of millions of web-connected printers '' by the end of next year . Currently , developers interested in building apps need to apply for access to HP 's SDK .

Why 's HP Doing This ?

Beyond selling printers , HP needs to sell ink . With more and more types of documents getting digitized and smartphones replacing former functions of printers -LRB- think coupons and tickets -RRB- , HP needs new ways to drive printer usage .

Web-connected printers fill this need in a few ways . First , they connect to the ever growing cloud for business users and make their lives easier . Second , the email-to-print concept clearly has the potential to drive new kinds of usage , both from business users and consumers who do things like print photos and news . Finally , there 's also opportunities for developers to create sticky apps -- perhaps not on the scale we 've seen in mobile , but with HP betting the future of its printers on web connectivity , you can bet we 'll see some big winners emerge from the developer community .

HP will dive into these topics at apress conference this morning to kick off Internet Week New York , where I 'll be moderating a panel with a number of the players involved in the new ePrint initiative . We 'll try and bring you video of the discussion later on .

Disclosure : HP is a sponsor of Mashable 's Internet Week New York channel .

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The idea builds off the Google Cloud Print announcement we saw in April

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It works by giving each printer its own unique e-mail address

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The new printers , along with ePrint , can connect directly to Google Cloud